Abaliget Cave

Abaliget Cave is the longest stream cave in the Mecsek Mountains. The cave and its one‑hectare surface area have been among Hungary's specially protected natural values since 1982. It is managed by the Directorate of the Danube–Drava National Park. Its developed main branch, about 466 m long, can be visited by hikers with a guide.

Description

The cave is located on the side of Bodó Hill in the northeastern part of the Mecsek Mountains at Abaliget, and it formed in Triassic anisian grey limestone. The entrance is at an altitude of 219 m above sea level. The enclosing rock of the western side branch No. 2 is conglomerate. A significant part of its catchment area lies on the anticlinal sandstone of Jakab Hill. The parts of Abaliget Cave not opened to tourism can be visited with permission from the Directorate of the Danube–Drava National Park.

The entrance part of the cave, 25–30 m long (despite the widening of the cross‑section), is very low, therefore it can only be traversed while crouching. About 40 m from the cave entrance is the Eastern side branch, which is probably an ancient spring outlet, its entrance. At 77 m the high‑situated Stone Bridge can be seen, indicating the former level of the stream. In the left corner of the Stone Bridge a helmet‑shaped stalagmite, the Crown, is visible, whose lower parts have been broken off. Further on, about 18 m away, the Pisai leaning tower’s blind‑drill extends to a height of 15 m. At 160 m from the entrance, opposite the formation named the statue of Florian in the main passage, the water of the Florian well feeds the stream. Here is one of the cave’s widest chambers, where therapeutic treatments for asthmatic patients take place. Continuing forward in the very winding corridor, a massive, damaged stalagmite, the Elephant Head, draws visitors’ attention. Large pieces are missing from its ear and trunk. In the bend, after a narrow section, a several‑ton rock block fallen from the ceiling (Crypt Cover) can be seen, as well as rock ledges protruding from the wall (Ship‑cannons or Crocodiles), and a few metres further, in the narrowing passage, an embedded rock block (Floating Stone or also called the Stone of Infirmity).

About 300 m from the entrance is the Karthágó ruins stone block group, which consists of huge, collapsed stone blocks. Here begins the Western 1 branch of the cave. Continuing onward, the 25 m high Kürtő can be seen, which approaches the surface. Through the Kürtő, during heavy rains water pours into the cave from the doline above the Kürtő. In the Library, located just under 30 m further on, huge stone slabs that have fallen from the ceiling and then collapsed onto each other (books) can be observed again. Vince Kölesi found here steps made of flat stone slabs arranged by human hands, which were still present at the beginning of the 1900s but have disappeared today (probably during the construction in the 1950s). The throat of the Western 2 branch of the cave opens here.

Continuing onward, on the left wall there is stalactite crust (Niagara Falls), and at the end of the main branch lies one of the cave’s largest chambers (Great Dome). Its shape was formed by collapses and fissures. The original siphon end of the main branch of the cave (466 m) lies about 40 m after the right‑hand opening of the Hell throat. The cave stream emerges from here. From the Great Dome a slender staircase made of rust‑resistant steel leads up to the Great Hall, discovered in 1954 and situated 18 m higher. At one end of the hall a huge, 30 m³ fallen stone block rises, and at the other end is the part of the cave richest in stalactites (beautiful stalactite encrustations, pendant stalactites and flowstone). Guests reach this point on the tour and then return to the surface along the presented route.

The comprehensive survey of the fauna of Abaliget Cave was carried out by Antal Gebhardt, who in 1934, as a result of systematic collecting work, described 190 animal species in the cave, including insects, spiders, species of the genus *Microtus* and unique blind shrimp species in the stream water, such as the Niphargus forelli gebhardti named after him and blind aquatic crustaceans. The cave is a significant winter bat roost. Researchers observed 19 bat species that live or breed only in caves. Among them, large-footed bats and small-footed bats are occasionally seen on the developed sections. Among the larger mammals, the traces of the great mole are regularly seen in the interior of the cave and recently a family of otters moved into the cave from the neighboring fishing pond.

In 1921 the cave was first called Abaligeti-barlang in the literature. The name Abaligeti-barlang appears in the literature as A1 (Pál Szabó 1961), Abaliget Cave (Kordos 1977), Abaligeti barlang (Kadić 1922–1925), Abaligeti-cseppkőbarlang (Barbie 1936), Abaligeti cseppkőbarlang (Szeghalmy 1937), Akácos-víznyelő (Havasi, Székely, Salamon 2003), Nagy Paplika (Bertalan 1976), Nagypaplika (Kaán 1931) and Paplika (Polgárdy 1941).

Until 1896

The issue of *Honművész* dated October 6, 1833 states that three hours from Pécs towards Ny, near Abaliget, lies the famous Abaliget stalactite cave, which is accessed by a forehall 3 rods wide and 20 rods long. Its surface is covered by ice‑cold river water about 2.5 feet deep. The 500‑rod‑long cave consists of brown‑black marble. Inside the cave are underground high passages, spacious chambers, terrifying whirlpools into which the streams roar loudly, and towering rock pillars rising like high towers.